Tuesday, November 25, 2014

I created this blog 7 years ago to help friends, family and neighbors get and stay prepared...plus help me keep on top of it as well. I KNOW it is overwhelming! I feel it almost every day....72 hour kits, food storage, emergency money, emergency documents, fire and evacuation drills, water storage....it is a lot to take in. But life is like that every day...until we break it down into little steps to help us accomplish the big tasks. If you asked me what I think is the most important place to start I would say 72 hour kits and then water storage. But it is all possible if you prioritize your time and money a bit at a time.

If you are just beginning to create a 72 hour kit, you will find all of the links on the right hand side of this blog. Each link will connect you to ideas to build your own kit. Try to break it down to get something new, or with each paycheck. Set aside a little bit of money for emergency preparedness items.

If there is something else you are ready to begin like water storage, food storage, pandemic preparedness, type it in the search box and it will direct you to more information. I started this back in the pre-5 kids days and time is not as plentiful for me to retype all of this info:) It should all be here and current...except for grocery deals I used to post.

My favorite resource www.dealstomeals.blogspot.com. She has some great free printables to help you keep track of your food storage and figure out what you need. Also provides great recipes.As for the ICE box...this is new to me. It was something I became acquainted with this month and see its importance....

....a box that has all of our important documents ready to take
"In Case of an Emergency". It is a lot of info, so I will try to
simplify it in the next few months. This month focus on creating emergency
contact information. You can keep it in a file box, small safe, or a bag or
folder for now...just start collecting. For the entire presentation contact
Bro. Kretzschmann and he can send it via email. kretzschmann@yahoo.com.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Let's start at the beginning for the most essential item of all--Water. I have updated the other items on the list to your right if you want to start on some other items as well.

***Pack at least 3 - 16.9 oz bottles in your pack for each person.

*If you have a pet make sure he has some too. I have a Chihuahua so I won't have to carry much:)

*If you are feeling good about getting plenty of water for your packs, toss a bottle in your car for each person as well for a future car kit:)

Extra water info----My favorite preparedness book "It's Time to Plan Not Panic" by Barbara Salsbury(check it out at the library!) says this:"When deciding how much water to take with you, the question may not be how much should you carry, but how much can you carry"

Water is confusing because everyone seems to say different requirements. We should all have 2 weeks of water stored for 2 weeks that is seperate than this amount. The purpose of the 72 hr kit would be to take it with you in an evacuation situation. I can not take 55 gallon drum on my back:)

You can get those little 8 oz packets of water where emergency prep stuff is sold. On the back of those it says it is recommended that you drink at least 8 oz a day to survive. But your body would need more to be in good health. If nothing else is in your kits, water is a must so carry as much as you can.

For my oldest kids I put in 2 water bottles in their pack....that is simply all they can carry without falling over. Since I want each kid to have 3 bottles at least I will carry the bulk of the water in my pack.They say that when people are in an emergency they drink more because of the stress, although I think I would freak out and ration myself.

I put water bottles in the fridge and gave each of my kids one of the 16.9 oz bottles to carry around for the day. By the end of the day, they hadn't even finished one. They were playing pretty rough all day and were in great shape at the end of the day. Of course this wasn't in the hot summer day either. But I felt comfortable knowing that my kids would be comfortable on one 16.9 oz bottle of water per day. I made sure each one of us had at least 3 bottles in our kit, and then I put in more bottles until it was pretty heavy but manageable. I know we should drink 8 glasses a day of water and eat all of our veggies, but the focus here is too stay hydrated.

Cleaning water is another thing. I don't think I have packed that much for cleaning personally. I have my 2 week water of I had access to my home. I think that I would put off washing the laundry if I knew I needed that water to drink. (That is why you have a extra pair of clothes) Don't get me wrong hygiene is very important in a situation like this to avoid sickness. Along with water I have a lot of wipes, sanitizer, bleach, disinfectant, these cool washclothes that go from the size of a quarter until dropped in a little water and they turn into a full size washcloth. We will get into all of that stuff later. Boy this was supposed to be a short, simple post "get some water" :)Yes, the national guard, Red cross and other federal help will bring water in, but not immediately. We can't go without water for more than 3 days. After Katrina hit some residents did not recieve water assistance for over a week! It is not the governments job to provide for our families!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

I have to update my kits pretty often because my kids grow out of their emergency clothes so quickly. But at those times I just exchange clothes. I like to update the food in my kits every 6 mths because my food like granola bars, dry fruit, etc, start to get hard. If you have MRE's and such in your kits than they are going to last longer. I have listed different ideas in this blog as to what you can put in your kits. I chose a variety if things that I don't have to cook, my kids will eat, and light to carry. When I replace the old food with new, I put the older ones in the kids "snack drawer" or for cold lunches. I only threw out some raisen boxes this year that got really hard.

On the right side of this blog, you will see links to help build your 72 hr kit. Start with finding the right container to put everything in. Take it at the pace that works for you. Whether it is getting an item for each kit once a week or once a month just get started!

It really doesn't need to be overwhelming! Start simple with a 72 hr kit and get the basics and work from there:)

Monday, May 16, 2011

I had one of those really "great" virus's recently, so it has been awhile since I have blogged. I wondered if anybody really looked anyways, so I didn't rush. Ever since I got it back different things have been going wrong. Like I can't figure out why all of my links on the right side are not showing...

If you are still working on your kit then a flashlight would be my next suggestion. I have some walmart ones that I pack in my bag with extra batteries in a plastic baggie. I also keep a wind up flashlight that is also a radio in my pack. The one I found at Emergency Essentials is $17. I keep smaller ones that can be found mostly anymore for the kids packs.

Friday, April 15, 2011

I think the next important thing besides food and water is an emergency blanket. You can find them pretty cheap, about $1.25, for each member of your family; add some to your car as well if you don't have something already.

Read more info on blankets here. I have a bungy cord hooked to my kids backpacks and if time permitted they would be able to roll up their "blankies" and carry it that way. They have the emergency foil blanket in their pack but I felt that they would need that security and warmth of a real blanket, and this is the only way I could fit it. I also carry light weight blankets in my trunk at all times, but they are not the special ones they love:) BUT they would be available if we were not able to grab their own blankets in time.

Friday, April 8, 2011

What you put in your pack for food depends on what you like and what you can carry. If you are sticking with the bare minimum than this is what you need: These food ration squares are intended to keep fed for 3 days. Tastes like a powdery cookie I think. Not awful, but not that tasty BUT you will live:) They have different kinds and are about $7. They also have individual flavored calorie bars that taste similar and are $1 each. The great thing about these are that they can be stored for a lot longer than regular food like granola bars.

You can also try Life caps which are intended to keep you full by taking 3 caps a day.

Thursday, March 31, 2011

If you have started a collection of items, hopefully at least water for your family, then you need to figure out what to put it in... What one person has does not work for another person. We are all in different stages of life and have different needs. Go HERE to find what works best for your family:) Hope you are enjoying caselots the next two weeks in Utah! If you ever wonder what is a good deal and what isn't....a lot of the time you can get it cheaper other times or places, try out www.dealstomeals.com she is locally based and takes the grocery ads, turns the deals that week into great meals AND tells you the great deals to stock up on storage---she got me excited and going a couple of years ago!

Wednesday, March 30, 2011

I know you have probably all seen 72 hour kit lists that differ from each other and it is difficult to figure out what is essential. I think that there are a few things that are essential while others will be beneficial, and others would be nice to have.

So here is what I think is the most essential items...if you get nothing else at least have these in your pack!

1-Water....at least 1 water bottle a day in your pack. Really though, if you can carry it then pack it. ......cost is about $4 for 24 bottle pack

2-Food....at least 3 days worth of food. Look at the food link for ideas. The easiest and most convenient is to get meal / calorie bars. At Emergency essentials you can taste them to see what kind you like best. I think they are chalky and bland, but I would eat them to survive. I also like Life Caps which are pills that give you what you need to survive for about 10 days. .....about $7

5- flashlight with extra batteries .....anywhere from $2 and up depending on type

6- Medications- I used to be on some pretty strong medication and if I didn't have it I would get dizzy, sick and delusional....not something you want to experience in an emergency.

7- Hand sanitizer--this is cheap to add and it is important to keep yourself free from sickness....$1

8- first aid kit----you can make your own and put in a plastic bag or get a premade one for about $10

Check out the dollar store first---you can find a lot of things for your first aid kit, hand sanitizer, flashlight and batteries, and sometimes the poncho and blanket as well.

Once you get all of this in your kit you may start thinking of things that would be nice to include....hair elastic to keep my hair back, chapstick for dry lips that can be painful, and other items that are also imporant like change od clothes, pocket knife, rope....I don't know off the top of my head what I would do with the rope and knife but when you are in an emergency you learn to be resourceful and wish you had more supplies.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Let's start at the beginning for the most essential item of all--Water. I have updated the other items on the list to your right if you want to start on some other items as well.

***Pack at least 3 - 16.9 oz bottles in your pack for each person.

*If you have a pet make sure he has some too. I have a Chihuahua so I won't have to carry much:)

*If you are feeling good about getting plenty of water for your packs, toss a bottle in your car for each person as well for a future car kit:)

Extra water info----My favorite preparedness book "It's Time to Plan Not Panic" by Barbara Salsbury(check it out at the library!) says this:"When deciding how much water to take with you, the question may not be how much should you carry, but how much can you carry"

Water is confusing because everyone seems to say different requirements. We should all have 2 weeks of water stored for 2 weeks that is seperate than this amount. The purpose of the 72 hr kit would be to take it with you in an evacuation situation. I can not take 55 gallon drum on my back:)

You can get those little 8 oz packets of water where emergency prep stuff is sold. On the back of those it says it is recommended that you drink at least 8 oz a day to survive. But your body would need more to be in good health. If nothing else is in your kits, water is a must so carry as much as you can.

For my oldest kids I put in 2 water bottles in their pack....that is simply all they can carry without falling over. Since I want each kid to have 3 bottles at least I will carry the bulk of the water in my pack.They say that when people are in an emergency they drink more because of the stress, although I think I would freak out and ration myself.

I put water bottles in the fridge and gave each of my kids one of the 16.9 oz bottles to carry around for the day. By the end of the day, they hadn't even finished one. They were playing pretty rough all day and were in great shape at the end of the day. Of course this wasn't in the hot summer day either. But I felt comfortable knowing that my kids would be comfortable on one 16.9 oz bottle of water per day. I made sure each one of us had at least 3 bottles in our kit, and then I put in more bottles until it was pretty heavy but manageable. I know we should drink 8 glasses a day of water and eat all of our veggies, but the focus here is too stay hydrated.

Cleaning water is another thing. I don't think I have packed that much for cleaning personally. I have my 2 week water of I had access to my home. I think that I would put off washing the laundry if I knew I needed that water to drink. (That is why you have a extra pair of clothes) Don't get me wrong hygiene is very important in a situation like this to avoid sickness. Along with water I have a lot of wipes, sanitizer, bleach, disinfectant, these cool washclothes that go from the size of a quarter until dropped in a little water and they turn into a full size washcloth. We will get into all of that stuff later. Boy this was supposed to be a short, simple post "get some water" :)Yes, the national guard, Red cross and other federal help will bring water in, but not immediately. We can't go without water for more than 3 days. After Katrina hit some residents did not recieve water assistance for over a week! It is not the governments job to provide for our families!

Thursday, March 24, 2011

As I updated my 72 hr kits the last 2 days, I got that excited feeling again...I know it is strange but I LOVE that feeling that I am prepared for whatever may come. As an anxiety prone person, my food storage and 72 hr kit are like my prozac:)

I also came across people who tell me they don't have 72 hr kits still or any food storage and it really worries me. I know I can' control everyone elses choices BUT I can make it easier for them. I believe that the #1 reason that people aren't prepared is because they feel overwhelmed. #2 reason is that they think it is too expensive, and they feel overwhelmed again.

With a family of 6, if I think about everything I need all at one time I will freak out. For me I break it apart piece by piece and day by day to make it manageable. Look at 1 month of food storage instead of the whole year....Get the very essentials in your 72 hour kit first and then work up to the rest.

There really isn't a good excuse that we aren't all prepared---we have heard it a million times from our government officials and from many church leaders.

A couple of years ago I was the Emergency preparedness specialist for my neighborhood and it involved a lot more than what I will do now. I just want to keep this blog more open for times when there are great deals to stock up on for your food storage, or to help you build your kits. *FYI Smiths grocery store has American Beauty pasta for $.49 a bag right now when you buy 10. This is an amazing deal to add to the 300 lbs of grain that is part of your 1 yr food storage plan. Dn't worry about it going bad too fast. Pasta is great for at least 2 years. I have had up to 100 bags of pasta and we eat it 2 times a month and I am able to rotate it just fine.

Powerade is .39 and great for dydration and to add to your water supply.

I love preparedness and I love getting awesome deals...so I try to stock up for things when the prices are awesome so I can save our family money at the same time. Everyone has different situations but I like to set aside $20 every paycheck for food storage and it makes a huge difference.

On the right hand side of this blog I have already done a list of things to add to your kits, so feel free to start there, or I am going to link to it at times as I kind of start from a different perspective...simple, simple, simple.

Seriously though, if you have some tax return money laying around:) and want to keep it simple and basic then buy an already prepared kit for each family member.I think I can do it less costly myself and personalize it for my family's needs--for instance none of my kid nor myself will eat MRE meals and those calorie bars are pretty gross as well. My kids will be stressed enough in an emergency I don't want to deal with fighting them to eat. Some say they will eat if they are starving, when it comes to food storage and 72 hr kits, but I think that is the wrong approach. You can store things your family likes and give them the comfort in a time of emergency. You can get one of these kits and add personal stuff to it as well.

If you want to start right away and have a few extra dollars, go and buy a 24-pack of water bottles. I have at least 1-16 oz bottle per day for 3 days for my kit. My kids are young and they can still carry a backpack with 3 bottles in it. I also read that if you are restricted on water thn don't drink anything for the first 24 hours unless sick, and then at least 8 oz every day after for survival.

I stock up in summer when the prices get less than $2 but it really isn't a huge expense now and the most important item in an emergency! Everything else is good and useful, but without water there is %0 survival. During the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina residents found themselves surrounded by water by worried they would not have enough fresh water to survive. Seriuosly, during a disaster it will be scary enough for ourselves and our family we shouldn't have to worry about surviving and knowing we could have bought $5 worth of water months before for our family.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

I just wanted to pop in to spread some good ideas I just read for egg substitute. There are powdered eggs that you can buy for your food storage but they can get pretty expensive, and being cheap, I have not even bought them to try. I was excited to run across these good ideas...I haven't tried them all out yet, but will soon.

-Take one tablespoon of milled flax seed. You can get this in the baking aisle at Walmart for a few dollars (also great for an oil substitute or to sneak more fiber in your meals) Add 3 tablespoons of water (amount of water may vary per recipe, but this is a pretty basic measurement).Stir together and then let it sit for a few minutes so it can become gelatinous

-Ener-G- can be found at health food stores, it has a great shelflife and for $5 it replaces 110 eggs. it is great in baking (except for brownies...the only substitute for that seems to be black or pinto beans-cooked and mashed)

Time to bake a few batches of cookies, just to experiment:)----Tiffanie

Friday, January 22, 2010

Many of you know Tiffany has moved from the neighborhood.I would like to keep up the blog she began. She has given us a great start.I will be sharing with everyone what I am doing to build my food storage, put a 72 hour kit together, and prepare for an emergency. I hope together we can become more prepared.

Monday, October 19, 2009

Some interesting swine flu prevention techniques that can't hurt to try...Prevent Swine Flu - Good AdviceDr. Vinay Goyal is an MBBS,DRM,DNB (Intensivist and Thyroid specialist) having clinical experience of over 20 years. He has worked in institutions like Hinduja Hospital, Bombay Hospital, Saifee Hospital, Tata Memorial etc... Pre sently, he is heading our Nuclear Medicine Department and Thyroid clinic at Riddhivinayak Cardiac and Critical Centre, Malad (W). The following message given by him, I feel makes a lot of sense and is important for all to know.The only portals of entry are the nostrils and mouth/throat. In a global epidemic of this nature, it's almost impossible to avoid coming into contact with H1N1 in spite of all precautions. Contact with H1N1 is not so much of a problem as proliferation is. While you are still healthy and not showing any symptoms of H1N1 infection, in order to prevent proliferation, aggravation of symptoms and development of secondary infections, some very simple steps, not fully highlighted in most official communications, can be practiced (instead of focusing on how to stock N95 or Tamiflu): 1. Frequent hand-washing (well highlighted in all official communications). 2. "Hands-off-the-face" approach. Resist all temptations to touch any part of face (unless you want to eat, bathe or slap). 3. *Gargle twice a day with warm salt water (use Listerine if you don't trust salt).*H1N1 takes 2-3 days after initial infection in the throat/ nasal cavity to proliferateand show characteristic symptoms. Simple gargling prevents proliferation.In a way, gargling with salt water has the same effect on a healthy individual thatTamiflu has on an infected one. Don't underestimate this simple, inexpensive and powerful preventative method. 4. Similar to 3 above, *clean your nostrils at least once every day with warm salt water. *Not everybody may be good at Jala Neti or Sutra Neti (very good Yoga asanas to clean nasal cavities), but *blowing the nose hard once a day and swabbing both nostrils with cotton buds dipped in warm salt water is very effective in bringing down viral population.* 5. *Boost your natural immunity with foods that are rich in Vitamin C (Amla and other citrus fruits). *If you have to supplement with Vitamin C tablets, make sure that it also has Zinc to boost absorption. 6. *Drink as much of warm liquids (tea, coffee, etc) as you can. *Drinking warm liquids has the same effect as gargling, but in the reverse direction. They wash off proliferating viruses from the throat into the stomach where they cannot survive, proliferate or do any harm. Add HONEY to your storage!The Utah Valley Produce website has been repaired and we are pleased to announce the annual honey order. There are two ways to get this wonderful raw alfalfa honey from Utah, the same thing we offered lastyear. You can buy 5 gallon buckets (60 lbs) for $104 or a case of 6 small5-pound containers for $58/case (30 lbs. in all).Please go toutahvalleyproduce.com, log in, and make your order. New customers will needto register first by clicking on the "log in"; button and following directions.Please feel free to pass this message on to anyone, includingwards and stakes. Deadline: October 31, 2009

Wednesday, September 16, 2009

I know that I have not posted for a week now and I feel bad for anybody who may have been waiting for some more info. I mentioned before that things were going to get crazy around here and that time has begun. I am packing like crazy right now, and dealing with morning sickness and 3 little ones running around. Topped off with my husband having surgery tomorrow and my 4 year olds shark birthday party to pull off next week. I volunteered at my daughters school twice next week before I knew all of this was going on. So, I figured anyone reading this blog would survive without my input:)

Since I don't know when or if I am going to get back on track I will direct you to other blogs that basically I get my info from anyways.

My favorite blog to get all of the great deals locally, plus some great menu ideas is www.dealstomeals.com. You can try it out for free for 2 weeks as well, and then it cost $4.95 each month. Which is what most of us waste just walking into Walmart:) There is also a blog www. dealstomeals.blogspot.com for more great info. She also has a website www.myfoodstoragedeals.blogspot.com that gives you great tips, ideas and recipes for food storage. She really is a food storage genius and has recently been on local news stations.

Also a great site to prepare for emergencies, get food storage recipes, and get your 72 hr kits and car kits put together is www.safelygatheredin.blogspot.com. It has links to the side, as well as mine, that will help you know what items to gather each week in your kits. I wanted to start on the car kits next and they have already done that on their site as well. I will keep my blog up and running and add things once in awhile when things come up, but as for now these resources are the very best. Good luck!!!!

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

How do you get all of the equipment needed? It may seem like you aren't saving money when you have to spend money first right? You need to find some great prices and that will help even more. But if you can each year, you will save on buying fruit, jams and vegetables at the store. I noticed walmart has quite the display of canning items right now. The basic items you need are bottles with lids(12 for less than $10), sealing lids($2), and a canner.

There have been a lot of changes since our Grandma canned, actually since 1990 and new rules have been set. A canner can cost about $20 to $100. For all of my supplies I paid $10. How---I went to the thrift store a few years ago and found one for $7. My mom and grandma supported my cause, as well as yard sales of older people, and added to my bottle supply--I have 40. Each year I pay less than $5 for canning! I just buy the sealing lids (these cannot be reused each year) and can about 40 jars of pears, applesauce, tomatoes, apple pie filling) All of this fruit is free from my garden, my grandpas garden or by word of mouth.

I did tomatoes this year and I really feel that it is the easiest to do. I grew my own tomatoes but the bulk came from grandpa.

First you find your fruit or veggie you want to can. If you want to make jam, you need pectin--found with all of the canning supplies--- and they have all of the recipes inside.

Then we washed all of the bugs, dirt, a snail slime off:)

I wash all of my jars in hot water or the good ol' dishwasher.

Then I boil a big pot of water. I turn off the stove and put my tomatoes inside for about 10 minutes. This helps get the skins off. From there I toss them in the sink of cold water. I really don't know if this is what everyone else does, but I grew up watching my mom do it. Now the tomatoes skins come off. This is the kids favorite part! They put their chairs up to the sink and the peels come right off. I cut out the stem part and the kids love to squish them in the jar. Well, my girls love to get dirty---my little boy, oddly enough, really hates the feel of it:) We leave about 1 1/2 inch of space at the top. While this is going on I take the sealing lids that you buy at the store for about $2 and keep them in a pan of hot, not boiling water until I am ready.Then I add 1 tsp vinegar to the tomatoes for safe acidity(this did not need to be done in my mom's days) and we take a non-metal utensil and hit down any air pockets. My 6 year old has been canning since 20 mths and she really loves to help me. It is my 21 mth olds first year canning and she seems to really enjoy squishing the tomatoes between her fingers:)

We put the lids on, and put the jars in the canning rack. I fill the pot about halfway---I learned one year not to feel it up too high or you have a lot of mess to clean up when it overflows from the jars being added. I turn it on high and get the water boiling (lid is on). Once the water starts to boil, I set the timer for 45 minutes. Other fruit like pears are shorter amount of processing time. Once done, remove the rack from the pot. I learned this today actually:) I usually leave it in the pot a bit so I don't burn myself, but apparently it can overcook your food if left in the heat too long. I don't care too much since my tomatoes will be pureed and cooked into pasta sauce later anyway. But other items may be affected by this. Once they are out don't tighten the lids, since it could break the seal. Int he next few ours make sure the lids are sealed. If it makes a popping noise when you push on the top then it needs to be done again. In this case I don't want to do it all over again for one jar so I just make dinner with it that night:) I also had one jar shatter yesterday, and since I am just a beginner I am not sure why this happened this particular.

If you have any questions you can ask me---or if you want to have a professional opinion you can google it:) I figure they seal every year, I haven't died from eating anything year after year, so it seems to be working good enough for me:)

Serve over rice Heat oven to 350. In a shallow dish combine the flour, garlic powder and salt & pepper. Dip each pork chop in flour mixture and coat evenly.Melt 2 TB butter in a shallow baking dish, large enough to accommodate pork in a single layer. Arrange pork chops in pan and bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes (depending on how thick your pork chops are) at 350 degrees. Don’t over cook or pork will get tough.Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, melt remaining butter and add honey, lemon juice, brown sugar, soy sauce, ginger and cayenne pepper. Boil for several minutes until sauce begins to thicken.After pork chops have baked for 15-20 minutes, turn each piece over and pour sauce mixture evenly over pork. Bake another 20 to 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Serve over rice. This recipe is also great on chicken

Monday, August 24, 2009

This is the basic recipe I have been using to make fruit leather with all of my apricots this week. Yes, still working on that. Some of the apricots need to ripen more, so I took a break for the weekend.

First I wanted to share my opinion on why I think it is important to take the time for things like this. At the same time I share some of my recent annoyances-I can because it is my blog and I can do what I want:)

1st, food storage is important and the more food storage you can acquire the better.

2nd, I realize that this can take a lot of time, and people are busy. I can think of 100 other projects in my home and with my kids that will always be there, but I believe we can make time for anything. If there is time to find out the newest American Idol, or who is Dancing with the stars, you can't be that tight on time. No rudeness intended, just that we all different priorities. I have a difficult time sitting still and watching tv when I know I have so many things that need to be done. So I use this as my down time and turn on a movie while I pit and cut them.

3rd, it is also a great teaching lesson for your kids. My kids enjoy this tradition each year, and actually get upset if they both can't help me pick the fruit. When I got home, I had other things that needed to get done before I started on apricots. When I got downstairs my 5 year old had laid out the blanket and her and my 3 year old had pitted 2 bowls of apricots by themselves and laid them on the dehydrator screen!

4th As mentioned we are teaching our kids, but also ourselves to be self-reliant. I understand that we have a Walmart down the street with dried apricots that I can pick up in 10 minutes. I can pick up a loaf of bread, instead of make it too. BUT I think it is important to know how to rely on our own skills and storage, in case one day those resources aren't available. Disaster strikes and a loaf of bread will cost you $10 if you can find anything left on the shelf. Note-I do not make all of my bread myself:) but get 95% of it at the grocery store. But once a week I try to bake bread, rolls or such to keep my storage rotated as well as teach myself how to be better at it.

5th and final gripe:) A small bag of dried apricots at the store cost about $4. For the amount of apricots I have dried so far and the fruit leather I have made would have cost me about $50---but I have paid nothing. Also, I know what goes into the food I make homemade, and not what has been used to preserve and maintain color, and sweetness.

Fruit Leather Recipe

Ingredients:Fresh fruit (apricots, peaches, plums, berries, apples, pears, grapes)WaterLemon juiceSugar (if needed) --I figure if my kids enjoy it without sugar, than why add itSpices such as cinnamon and nutmeg (optional)Method:1 Rinse the fruit. If you working with stone fruit, take out the pits, chop the fruit. If working with apples or pears, peel and core them, then chop. If working with grapes, de-stem them.Taste the fruit before proceeding. Note how sweet the fruit is. If very sweet (ripe Concord grapes for example) you will not need to add any sugar. If still a little tart, you may need to add some sugar in the next step.2 Place fruit in a large saucepan. Add a half cup of water for every 4 cups of chopped fruit. Bring to a simmer, cover and let cook on a low heat for 10-15 minutes, or until the fruit is cooked through. Uncover and stir. Use a potato masher to mash up the fruit in the pan. Taste the fruit and determine what and how much sugar, lemon juice, or spices to add. Add sugar in small amounts (1 Tbsp at a time if working with 4 cups of fruit), to desired level of sweetness. Add lemon juice one teaspoon at a time to help brighten the flavor of the fruit. Add a pinch or two of cinnamon, nutmeg, or other spices to augment the flavor.Continue to simmer and stir until any added sugar is completely dissolved and the fruit purée has thickened, another 5 or 10 minutes (or more).

Note if you are working with grapes - strain the juice out of the mashed grapes to make grape juice. Force what is left behind, after straining, through a food mill, to make the purée for the next step.3 Alternatively purée it thoroughly in a blender or food processor. Taste again and adjust sugar/lemon/spices if necessary. The purée should be very smooth.4 Line a rimmed baking sheet with sturdy plastic wrap (the kind that is microwave safe). Pour out the purée into the lined baking sheet to about an 1/8 to 1/4 inch thickness.5 Place the baking sheet in the oven, try to keep any plastic wrap from touch the sides of the oven or the oven racks. Also try to make sure that the plastic wrap hasn't folded back over on top of the purée. If this happens, the purée won't dry out. Heat the oven to a low 140°F. If you have a convection setting, use it, it will speed up the process and help dry out the purée. Let dry in the oven like this for as long as it takes for the purée to dry out and form fruit leather. We usually keep it in the oven overnight, so about 8-12 hours. The fruit leather is ready when it is no longer sticky, but has a smooth surface.Alternatives to the oven. If you have a food dehydrator, this would be a great use of it. Also a reader posted that she spread them on the cookie sheet and then put them outside all day. Get it out by 9 in the a.m., it's done by or 4 in the afternoon! That seems like a good idea to cut down on power and also not heat your house up using the oven.6 When the fruit leather is ready, you can easily peel it up from the plastic wrap. To store it, roll it in its plastic wrap, put it in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator or freezer.4 cups of fruit yield about one baking sheet of fruit leather.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

This week put in a pair of gloves for each member of your family. I put in some work gloves for me and my husband. After a natural disaster there will be a lot of debris that will need to be hauled away. I put little winter gloves in for the kids, to keep them warm and also keep hands safe around debris--I just don't see them doing much hard labor:)

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

If any of you have eaten at the Lion House (historic home of Brigham Young) you know these rolls are great. My mother in law makes them for special occasions.Lion House RollsIngredients: 2 cups warm water (110 to 115 degrees)2 tablespoons dry yeast2 teaspoons salt1 egg2/3 cup nonfat dry milk powder (instant or non-instant) 1/4 cup sugar1/3 cup butter or shortening4-4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour or bread flour

Directions:1-In large bowl of electric mixer, combine water and milk powder, stir until dissolved.2-Add yeast, then sugar, salt, butter, egg, and 2 cups flour.3-Mix on low speed of mixer until ingredients are wet, then 2 minutes at medium speed.4-Add 2 cups more flour; mix on low speed until ingredients are wet, then for 2 minutes as medium speed. (Dough will be getting stiff and remaining flour may need to be mixed in by hand).5-Add about ½ cup flour and mix again, by hand or mixer.6-Dough should be soft, not overly sticky, and not stiff.7-(It is not necessary to use the entire amount of flour.)8-Scrape dough off sides of bowl and pour about 1 T.vegetable oil all around the sides of the bowl so it is covered with oil.9-Cover with plastic wrap and allow to rise in warm place until double in size.10-After dough has risen, sprinkle cutting board or counter with flour and place dough on floured surface.11-Roll out and cut rolls in desired shape and size.12-Place on greased (or parchment lined) baking pans.13-Let rise in warm place until rolls are double in size (about 1 to 1 ½ hours).14-Bake at 375 for 14 to 20 minutes or until browned.15-Brush with melted butter while hot.